CHARLESTON (JG-TC) — A purported Walmart “secret shopper” mail scam is circulating throughout the Coles County area, according to the Charleston Police Department.
A press release issued by the CPD said the scam is being sent through letters asking Coles County residents to take part in a “secret shopper job.”
The scammer requests the person conduct an evaluation at a Walmart store and submit the results to a fictitious email account.
http://liarcatchers.com/fraud_investigation.html
The person is asked to take the enclosed check and deposit it into his or her bank account, then return the majority of the check amount through a Walmart Money Gram. The press release goes on to say that the scammer provides a fictitious email and name in the hopes that the person will fall for the scam and deposit the check, which is fraudulent, then turn around and send the majority of the money to various locations; in one local incident it was to be sent to Port-Au-Prince.
“The Charleston Police Department wants to make its citizens aware of this scam and others like it. If you feel you have received a similar scam through the mail or through email please shred or delete this information,” the press release said. “These scam artists typically use local bank information to come across as legitimate. Please do not respond to these scams.”
